Pre-paid debit cards could be affected by breach

BATON ROUGE - The Louisiana Department of Revenue announced Friday that they've been warned of a data breach that could affect personal information held by sate agencies.

JPMorgan Chase told the state Thursday that personally identifiable information the company holds under contract with several state agencies may have been affected by the breach. The company said they don't know if or to what extent Louisiana citizens' personal information may have been exposed.

The Department of Revenue said the company has contracts to issue pre-paid debit cards for some agencies, including income tax refunds distributed by LDR as well unemployment benefits and some child care assistance.

LDR said state agencies are working with JPMorgan Chase to get more information about the data breach. A similar breach affecting three state agencies was reported in December 2013.

In the meantime, people who have pre-paid debit cards issued from state agencies should keep an eye on their credit statements and financial reports for suspicious activity. They should also change any passwords connected to those accounts.